1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wet wipe containers and, more particularly, to dispensing nozzles through which wet wipes are dispensed from the container.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
A variety of wet wipe container/dispensers are known in the prior art. One such container/dispenser is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,160 to Ogawa, et al. The Ogawa, et al. patent discloses a wet tissue drawing member affixed to the top of the container. The wet tissue drawing member may be in the form of a soft rubber disk (see FIG. 8 thereof) with a hole therethrough. Projecting up from the top of the container is a cylindrical neck which is engagable with a protective cap. The protective cap is restrained by a flexible strip extending therefrom attached to the top of the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,047 to Doyle, et al. discloses a wet wipe container which includes an exit slit or opening at the base of what appears to be a funneled exit nozzle. A cap for the funneled exit nozzle appears to be integrally formed with the top of the container and an interconnecting restraining strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,129 to Sedgwick teaches yet another moist tissue dispenser very similar to that which is taught by Doyle, et al. A funneled exit port integrally formed with the top of the container having a dispensing opening therethrough. A cap is provided to seal the funneled exit port, the cap having a restraining strap extending therefrom attached to the top of the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,907 to Beard teaches still another dispenser for moistened paper tissues. The dispenser taught by Beard includes an inverted frusto-conical dispensing nozzle with a central orifice in the base thereof. A sealing closure is provided which engages the frusto-conical dispensing nozzle. The sealing closure is connected by an integral flap to the main body of the lid of the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,895 to Niske, et al. teaches a sealable dispenser for individual moistened towelettes. The dispenser included a dispensing nozzle having a orifice therethrough. A plurality of shapes for the dispensing orifice are taught (see FIGS. 2 through 8 of Niske, et al.).
Nothing in the prior art teaches a wet wipe dispensing nozzle which reacts to the direction from which the wet wipe is pulled to alleviate some of the frictional force imparted to the wet wipe as it exits the dispenser. Further, nothing in the prior art teaches a wet wipe dispensing nozzle which reacts to the twisting of the lead end of the web remaining in the dispenser after a sheet has been dispensed such that some of the twisting is alleviated.